Removable stop for well tools



June 14, 1 960 J. v. FREDD 2,940,525

REMOVABLE STOP FOR WELL TOOLS Original Filed Oct. 9, 1953 Fig. 2 ig. IINVENTOR.

John V. Fredd A TTORNEY REMOVABLE STOP FOR WELL TOOLS John V. Fredd,Dallas, Tex., assignor to Otis Engineering Corporation, Dallas, Text, acorporation of Texas Original application Oct. 9, 1953, Ser. No.385,248. Divided and this application Aug. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 754,418

8 Claims. (Cl. 166-219) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in means for positioning and supporting well devices inwell flow conductors such as well tubing or casing or the like, and thisapplication is a division of my co pending application Serial No.385,248, filed October 9, 1953.

One object of the invention is to provide a new and improved stop forpositioning or supporting well devices in a well flow conductor.

An important object of the invention is to provide a well device adaptedto serve as a stop or support for well tools or to close the bore of anopen ended well conductor, and which device may be readily and quicklylowered into the well conductor by flexible line lowering means andanchored in position therein at the recess at a collar connecting twoadjacent sections of the conductor.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a well device of thecharacter described having stop and supporting dogs which are adapted tobe expanded into locking position by a resiliently biased expandingmember and wherein means is provided for rendering said expanding memberinoperative until the device has been lowered into the well conductor tothe desired position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a well device of thecharacter described wherein the means for holding the expanding memberagainst expanding movement with respect to the stop dogs is releasableupon the upward movement of the tool in the well tubing or conductor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a well device of thecharacter described which is designed to provide an obstruction to thepassage of well tools down- .wardly out the open end of the well flowconductor but which also permits substantially full flow of well fluidsupwardly through the conductor so that the device does not appreciablyrestrict the flow of gas and liquids from the well through theconductor.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be readilyapparent fi-om the reading of the following description of a deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention, and reference to theaccompanying drawings thereof, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing awell device or a stop constructed in accordance with the invention as itappears while being lowered in a tubing string; and

Figure 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing thestop as it appears locked in position in a well flow conductor.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a stop having abody 11 which is provided with a threaded upper end 12 by means of whichit may be secured to the lower end of a well tool or lowering mechanism.A lock mandrel 13 is threaded in a bore 13a in the lower end of the stopbody, and a plunger rod 14 is positioned in said bore and extendsdownwardly through said mandrel. The lower end of the plunger rodextends below the lock mandrel, and a cup-like dog carrier 15 having anupwardly extending circular wall or lip 15a is I United States Patent 0Patented June 14, 1960 ice secured on said plunger rod below said lockmandrel by a nut 16 threaded on the lower end of the rod. The bore ofthe dog carrier is provided with an internal annular flange 17 whichconfines the hooked lower ends 18 of a plurality of stop dogs 19 betweenthe flange and the plunger rod to hold the dogs in position in thecarrier.

The upper ends of the dogs are free to move inwardly toward the plungerrod and may engage the frusto-conical expander surface 20 at the lowerend of the lock mandrel when the dog carrier and the dogs are moveddownwardly relative to the mandrel to the retracted position shown inFigure l. The beveled inner upper ends 21 of the stop dogs abut thedownwardly facing annular wedge and lock shoulder 22 located above thefrustoconical shoulder 20 of the lock mandrel when said stop dogs aremoved upwardly relative to said mandrel to expand said dogs to thelocking position shown in Figure 2.

The upper end of the plunger rod extends upwardly into the bore 13a ofthe body and'is enlarged and bifurcated to provide a pair of upwardlyextending legs 23. A toggle plate 24 is rotatably mounted between thelegs on a pin 25 extending through the legs and protrudes laterally intoa pair of opposed longitudinal slots 26 and 27 through the walls of thebody. One slot 27 is elongated and extends downwardly beyond to theother slot 26. A release dog 28 is pivotally secured at one end by a pin28a to the toggle plate, and the other end of the release dog is adaptedto extend laterally outwardly of the elongated slot 27 beyond the body.A release spring 29 has its opposite ends rigidly secured to the pivotpin 25 and to the release dog and urges the dog outwardly in a clockwisedirection for a purpose which will be hereinafter explained. v i

A link 39 has its opposite ends pivotally secured to the toggle plate 24and to a link pin 31 extending transversely through the body above thetoggle plate. A spring 32 surrounds the upper part of the plunger rodand bears at its upper end against the enlarged upper part of the rodand at its lower end against an internal shoulder 33 in the bore of thelock mandrel 13 whereby the spring urges the plunger rod upwardlyrelative to the body, and thus biases the carrier 15 and the dogssupported thereby upwardly into expanding engagement with the'expandersurface 20 at the lower end of the lock mandrel 13.

The link 30 is connected to'the toggle plate by a pivot pin 34 displacedfrom the pin 25 whereby movement of the plunger rod downwardly in thebody causes the toggle plate to be rotated in a counter-clockwisedirection. The plate is further rotated in a counter-clockwise directionuntil a stop shoulder 35 on the edge of the toggle plate engages thelower end 36 of the slot 26 in the body. In this position the pivot pin34 is displaced slightly to the left of the pin 25 and of the link pin31 attaching the upper end of the link to the body so that the spring 32biases the plate for rotation in a counter-clockwise, direction when thedevice is in the position of Figure 1.

When the toggle plate 24 is rotated in a clockwise direction through asmall angle by the release dog 28, the pivot pin 34 forming the point ofpivotal attachment of the lower end of the link 30 to the toggle plateis displaced slightly to the right past a dead center position betweenthe pin 25 and the link pin 31 forming the point of pivotal attachmentof the upper end of the link to the body. At this time the toggleplatewill be rotated in a clockwise direction to the position shown in Figure2 by the upward force exerted by the spring 32. The link is providedwith a'notch 37 intermediate its ends in which the pin 25 is stopped onupward movement of the plunger rod, providing for suflicient rotation ofthe toggle plate to permit full upward retractive movement of theplunger rod, as shown in Figure 2.

In use, the stop body 11.is supported by the usual nal movement of saidcontrol means, said stop-dogs having stop shoulders thereon disposed toengage the up wardly facing shoulder in said conductor when in expandedpo'sition to prevent downward longitudinal movement of the stop in theconductor.

4. A well tool' for use in a' well string having an internal upwardlyfacing shoulder and an internal downwardly facing shoulder, said toolincluding: a tubular body having a longitudinal bore; a central memberin said bore mounted for movement longitudinally therein; stop meanscarried by said central member movable laterally from a retractedposition to a projecting position; laterally projecting boss means onsaid stop means engageable with the upwardly facing shoulder in saidwell string when said stop means is in said projecting positio'n tolimit downward movement of said well tool in said well string; expandermeans on said body engaging said stop means to move said stop means tosaid projecting position when said central member is movedlongitudinally in one direction in said body; resilient means on saidbody engaging said central member for biasing said central memberlongitudinally in said one direction to move said stop means toprojecting position; locking means cohnected with said body and saidcentral member for preventing movement of said central memberlongitudinally of said body in said one direction from a positionholding said expander means out of expanding engagement with said stopmeans; and means carried by said locking means engageable with thedownwardly facing shoulder in said well conductor for releasing saidlocking means to permit longitudinal movement of said central member insaid one direction; the boss means on said stop means having externalbeveled surfaces at the upper end thereof for camming said sto'p meansinwardly toward retracted position upon meeting obstructions duringupward movement of the tool in said well string.

5. A well tool including: a tubular body having a longitudinal bore; acentral member in said bore movable longitudinally therein; stop meanson said central member movable laterally from a retracted position to aprojecting position; boss portions on said stop means engageable with anupwardly facing shoulder in a well string when said locking means is insaid projecting position; wedge means on said body engageable with saidstop means to move said stop means to projecting position when saidcentral member is moved longitudinally to a first position; resilientmeans in said body engaging said central member for biasing said centralmember longitudinally in said body toward said first position; means onsaid central member preventing movement of said stop means beyond saidprojecting position; said central member having a reduced exteriorportion permitting movement of said stop means to retracted positionwhen said central member is in a second position in said body; anexternal beveled surface on said stop means whereby said stop means iscammed inwardly toward retracted position upon meeting obstructions; andrelease means in said body releasably holding said central member insaid second position, said release means including a member engageablewith a downwardly facing shoulder in the well string to release saidrelease means and free said central member for movement in the bodytoward said first position upon upward movement of the well tool in saidwell string.

6. A well tool including: a tubular body having a longitudinal bore; acentral member in said bore movable longitudinally therein; stop meanson said central member movable laterally from a retracted position to aprojecting position; boss portions on said stop means engageable with anupwardly facing shoulder in a well string when said stop means is insaid projecting position; wedge means on said body engageable with saidstop means to move said stop means to projecting posi tion when saidcentral member is moved longitudinally to a first position; resilientmeans in said body engaging said central member for biasing said centralmember longitudinally in said body toward said first position; means onsaid central member preventing movement of said ,stop means beyond saidprojecting position; said whereby said stop means is cammed inwardlytoward retracted position upon meeting obstructions; and release meansin said body releasably holding said central member in saidsecondposition; said release means having a release dog projectingoutwardly from said body and engageable with a downwardly facingshoulder in said well string on upward movement of said tool in saidwell string to actuate said release means to permit movement of saidcentral member toward said first position.

7. A well tool including: a body having a longitudinal bore; a centralmember in said bore movable longitudinally therein; a cup-shaped memberon the lower end of said central member; stop means swingably mounted insaid cup-shaped member for movement of the upper ends of said stop meansoutwardly from a retracted po sition to a projecting position; outwardlyextending boss portions providing a shoulder thereon on said stop meansengageable with an upwardly facing shoulder in a well string when saidstep means is in said projecting position; expander means on said bodyengageable with the upper ends of said stop means to move said stopmeans to said projecting position when said central member is movedlongitudinally upwardly in said body; said expander means being movableout of expanding engagement with said stop means when said centralmember is moved longitudinally downwardly in said body whereby said stopmeans may move to said retracted position; resilient means on said bodyengaging and biasing said central member longitudinally upwardly in saidbody; means on said stop means and said cup-shaped member limitingoutward pivotal movement of the upper ends of said stop means; linkmeans in said body connected between said body and said central memberand releasably holding said central member in its lower position againstthe biasing force of the resilient means; release means connected withsaid link means engageable with a downwardly facing shoulder in the wellstring upon upward movement of the well tool in said well string formoving said link means from position holding said central member in itslower position relative to said body to free the resilient means to movesaid central member upwardly to its upward position in said body wherebythe stop means are moved to expanded position.

8. A well tool including: a body having a longitudinal bore and alateral aperture communicating with said bore; a central member in saidbore movable longitudinally therein, the lower-end of said centralmember extending below said body; resilient means in said body engagingsaid body engaging said central member and biasing said member forlongitudinal movement upwardly in said body; link means in said boreconnected to said central member and said body and releasably holdingsaid central member in a lower position on said body against the upwardbiasing force of said resilient means; release means connected with saidlink means and having one end extending outwardly and upwardly of saidbody through said aperture when said central member is in said lowerposition; spring means on said link means engageable with and biasingsaid release means outwardly of said body; said one end of said releasemeans being eugageable with a downwardly facing shoulder in the wellflow conductor on upward movement of the well tool to free said linkmeans for movement from holding position to a released position topermit said central mem- "members pivotallymounted at their'lower' nd'sims'aid 5 i 5 UNITEDgS'TAiE PATENT"; cup means and ext endmg' upwardlytherefrom whereby the pper ends of said stop members may move laterally19951254 E m ---V--"-'" 1935 from a retracted position tp an" expzindedP S pander means on said body engageabl with stop 2 401 members 'whensaid central member is moved upw rdly 0 3 933; whereby said stop membersare moved to saict expanded position; and outwardly extendingbossportions heivifig

